NADMO calls for adoption of FMNR Concept to fight desertification

Awaradone (U/E), Oct. 15, GNA – The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has called for the need for communities to adopt the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) concept of the World Vision to fight desertification. The FMNR involves selecting and pruning stems regenerating from stumps of naturally grown trees on the field to give them more space to grow. A Deputy Chief Disaster Control Officer of NADMO in the Upper East Regional Directorate, Mr Paul Wooma, said this the International Day for Disaster Reduction held at Awaradone in the Talensi District over the weekend. He said the FMNR had proved to be more reliable, cheaper and sustainable than the usual conventional methods of tree planting saying about five hundred acres of forest reserve had been created in the Talensi-Nabdam District of the Upper East Region within two and a half years under the Farmer Managed and Natural Regeneration (FMNR) programme. Mr Wooma appealed to policy makers to infuse the FMNR into Forestry Commission Programme activities and called on communities in the region to establish woodlot projects for future firewood harvesting. He said disaster management and its reduction called for a multi-sectorial approach and that was why NADMO worked with all stakeholders including the Ghana Education Service and NGOs in disaster management. He said his outfit together with District Assemblies ensured that all new school buildings adhered to building codes and standards that incorporate disaster resilience and climate change adaptation. He called on School authorities to conduct safety reviews of existing school infrastructure with respect to local hazards on a regular basis. The Day is celebrated on the 13th October every year to raise public awareness about what member countries of the United Nations can do to reduce the Risk of Disasters from Floods, Wildfires, Droughts, Desertification, Earthquakes and Hurricanes among others. The event was on the theme: “Women and Girls the Invisible Force of Resilience” and it attracted stakeholders including school children, parents, the National Disaster Management Organizations, Assembly Members and NGOs among others.